NEW LONDON – Although Eastern Connecticut State University had lost all 11 previous matches against Connecticut College in this series, several of them were close, four of them being decided by one goal.

Although the final score did not reflect it, the Warriors' 18-8 loss to the Camels Tuesday afternoon was not completely settled until the hosts ran off the final five goals over the final11 minutes to pull away.

The loss was the third straight for Eastern (1-5) and the victory ended a three-game losing streak for Conn (3-5). Three of the Camels' losses have come to Top 20 teams.

Trailing by seven goals ten minutes into the second half, Eastern punched in consecutive goals for the first time in the match – sophomore midfielder Tristan Kijak (Windsor) nailing a free-position attempt and sophomore attack Alyssa Powers (Ellington) beating goalie Megan Mullin to cut the gap to five, 13-8.

The Camels, however, responded less than a minute after Powers' goal for the first of two goals by Julia Loesch three minutes apart and later put the lead at double digits with a pair of insurance goals inside the final minute.

Conn limited Eastern to only 15 shots, won 16 of 27 draws and forced 27 turnovers, nearly half of them coming on failed clears.

Junior goalie Jessica Purick (Riverhead, NY) kept the Warriors within striking distance by making a career-high 16 saves as the Camels outshot the Warriors by 3-to-1.

Senior defender Taylor Behn (Amherst, NH) won four ground balls for Eastern,with senior midfielder Maggie Bodington (Stratford) and Kijak each winning three draws and picking up three ground balls. Bodington, Kijak and senior attack Katie Burke (South Windsor) all had two goals. Eastern's second and third-leading scorers managed only one goal and four combined shots.

Eastern opens its Little East Conference season Friday against the University of Southern Maine at 4 p.m.